The annual meeting of the above Club was held at the Shangtiai Club on Tuesday afternoon, Mr. J. L. Scott was im the chair.
The Secretary real the notice convening the meeting.
The Chairwan—Gentlemen, the report and accounts have been in your hands for couple of days, and with your permission will take them as read, We can, I think, congratulate ourselves on the continued prosperity and growth of tue Club, the jermer as shown by a credit balance on last year's working of $4,004.51 xnd the possession of a fixed deposit with the Chartered Bank of India of $1,549.88; in all $5,554.39 against about $4,000 at the end of 1902 wud this after paying $1,274 expenses in connection with the ground and new gear, and the expenses of the visit of the Honskong team, $797.85. You will notice that this last was considerably lessened by the result of the entertainment given at the Theatre, which showed the Sstisfuctory sum of $014.40 on the right side. Our membership as you will see continues steadily to increase and now that we have our new pavilion the extra comfort thereby provided should still further increase the popularity of the Club.
R garding the accounts. "As settled at the Ist annual meeting they are now made up in dollars, and we have therefore brought down in that currency the amounts then standing in the books in taels. 'The clearly the details of the eats working various items are fully given and show I need not therefore, I think, go through them one by one.' As to' last year's cricket, the web weather interfered & good deal with play, but making all allowance for this 1 think "there! was a Kivd of slackness throughout the season, why 1 don't know, but that was the general impression loft in my mind, at any rate. Moule in heading the batting averages.
must again, congratulate Me. WH. The visit vf the Hongkong eleven, however, brought the season to wu animated close and though we were well beaten, we all enjoyed the game and the visit and I think "our Southern friends their part thoroughly appreciated their holiday. 1 had a very nice letter from the President of the Hongkong C, C. thanking wall for the hospitality shown to the team, for which, on his own account and on behalf of the Club generally, he returned his warmest thanks.
'The chief event of the year, go far as we personally wre concern-d, has been the erect tio of the new pavilion, which I hope and trust will for many years be, if not perhaps the delight of our eyes, yet most certainly the comfort of our' Ladies, Some of the members were axions, after the building was begun, to have' some alterations made in the front of the dressing rooms, to take the form of very inten enlarged windows, but after most careful consideration and discussion with the architect, on all the points involved by the ' chunga suggested, we woe unanimously of opinion that' the building had better remaines it is at present, As however. we are but morta, and our opinioustherefure may e quite wrons, afthe experience of the present season should the majority of the members using the pavilion favour this alteration it can easily be made during the coming winter and at the same cost as if done now. By cluing uothing'at present one important point is also guided, viz, that there would be ne vota delay in the completion of the build. ing, which is, as you know, wot yer read) We uovér expected it to be entirely finis ed by the opening of the present season, as the interval was too short to allow of the erection and completion of such a structure, but the work, until Jateiy, has gone on without interruption and the contractor has done his work to the satisfaction of the architect. Every endeavour is being made to finish one half first so as to allow of members heving their lockers, ete., when afterwards. 2 the season opens, or at least very shortly Tam glad to say that we had no difficalt ty in floating the debentures, and the fands necessary for the erection of the building have been provided as detailed in the Report.
Taking the membership, the me me and the normal ex of the Club arear present andalsoits financial for sever! years past, we should have funds more than Sufficient to pay the interest on these debentures, and we intend year by year to retire as many as our credit balance permits I should say that as far "s we can judge at present, they all be paid elf, roughly in 25 years.
Details of the tennis matches played are given in the Report. I have special remarks 0 make upon this game which seems to have pursued the even tenour of its way thoughout the season.
Before proposing the adoption of the report and accounts I shall be pleased to answer any questions, Mr, E.T. Byrne asked whether the amount for tiffin' and teas for the visiting team wax normal or extraordinary.
The Chairman said that as a matter of fact it was rather less than the sume item in the accounts for the previous year.
The Chairman, seconded by Mr. A. P. Wood, then proposed the adoption of the report and accounts. The resolution carried unanimously.
T would like to there are one or two errors in the printing of the rules. Rulex and 8 give different periods for the notice requited of a new resolution, Rule 10 mentioned in Rule 24 should be Rule 13. The rules under which we are working at present were made when the Club was very much smaller, and no doubt were su'F cient at the time, but for the lat year or two they have been found to be incomplete in many ways, and therefure inadequate for the proper working of the club as it now The Committee have therefore revised and brought them more into line with resent requirements. The alterations have n chiefly in the form of adding the Deve taken from those of" the Shanghai rules required for this object, and these we and Country Clubs, considering this the simplest and at the sume time the best method of offecting what was wanted, as these have been in use for some yeas and are found to work well; and this being so they should also prove satisfactory when incorporated with ours. They are not newfangled in any way but are those generally recognised as necessary for the proper satisfaction i & Club of our size, Ttrus: therefore that you will approve of and pass them, with of course ary suggestions or al erations which you deem nccessaty ox advisable. have no doubt all read Chem and I think itis therefore unnecessary for me to take up your time by going through them one The Chairman said that Club matches were those advertised by the Hun. Sec. to rake place on the ground. wish to interfere with cricket: but in some Mr. Byrne said tennis players did not cases games were called matches which were of no interest to anyone and in ¢-n-sequence tennis was stopped. He would suggest that tennis should be allowed on holidays.
The Chairman said that no one wished there to be any ill-feeling on this matter, The rule under which tennis vas prohibited during matches was made some time ayo when the Club was merely a Cricket Dui It seemed to him that on Saturdays there ought to be no tennis, as that was tie only day upon which cricket could usually Pile. "McClure ugyested that matches should stop az a certain time, The Chairman pointe! out how man objections would be raised against. this—it was usual for cricket to go on until there was no more light.
Mr. Fleet expressed the opinion that members were fr.quently debarred from playing teriis when ma: ches were going on, which were not entitled to be called Club matches.
Mr. Billings suggested that the term "lub" matches should only be applied to those on the fixture card.
Mr. Farbridge said that many dates were left vacant on the card 'The Chairman thought Mr. Billings' suggestion would not do because 50 many dates were left vacant on the card, and were filled in as the season went on, Some matches could not be fixed long boforehand—matches with the navy for nce.
it. Slanion thought that if cricket and tennis were played on the same ground atthe same time, tennis players would incur a grave risk.
Mr. Farbridge concurred with this, The Chairman suggested that if a match was arranged on one ut the vacant dates, and it was called a "Club" match by the Committee, tennis shoud not be allowed, If not called a "Club" match tennis would be allowed.
A show of hands showed that the general opinion was in favour of a resolution of this kind, and the Chairman said that the incoming' Committee wou'd follow these Mr. Byrne objected to rule 16, dealing with tennis, which prevented a double set to be plassed on a Court used for singles, not be allowed to play on a court bene He thought it unfair that four men shuld it was devote! to singles, The Chairman said that the desired alteration in the rale would be effected by omitting the words "vice verse.""
Mr. A. E, Jones soco ided the alteration, Mr. McClure said that he had sivan notice of a rule in connection with the selection of the team for an interport match.
After some discussion the rule was framed as follows:—That in the event of any interport matches, either at home or abroad, the Committee shall appoint a sub-committee consisting of two members of the Committee and three other members select " team, and that the team thus by one. Imay remind you also that ly chosen shall select their owa Captain. playing members can vote on this resolution.
Mr. McClure the word "shall Mr. Sanders seconded this on the ground that it was better that the Committee should follow a definite course in the case of members not paying their chits.
Mr. E. T. Byrne thought it unfair that tennis should be prohibited on holidays because a Club match was on. He could not exactly understand what a Club match was, There was a good deal of discussion as to whether it would be best for the sub-com. mittee or the team to elect the Capiain, but it was eventually decided in favour of the team. The resolution was carried almost unanimously.
The following resolutions were then put and carried Proposed by Mr. Byrne, seconded by Mr. Jones—That Rule 16 should read That courts cannot be changed from doubles into singles without the consent. of a member of the Committes; the words
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.